Mine
by undertheimperius
Summary: Narcissa Black has always been rather careful of letting herself fall too hard, but that Slytherin casanova, Lucius Malfoy, can certainly get her heart pumping.  Narcissa/Lucius, some Bellatrix/Rodolphus.  Takes place: Hogwarts to First Wizarding War.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey there! Welcome to my first Narcius/Lucissa fic. I've been a longtime reader of HP fanfic, as well as other fandoms, and have decided to try my own hand at it. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: The following characters do not belong to me. If they did, I would own a house by the beach and live in delicious relaxation. They are the property of the lovely queen J.K. Rowling and the people in charge of the movies.**

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><p>"And he's got it! He's got the snitch! That's <em>another<em> win for Slytherin house! They're simply unstoppable this year," boomed the commentators into the crisp fall air. Young men in silver and green robes streaked across the pitch waving their arms triumphantly as black and yellow clad players spiraled dejectedly to the sand, the loss heavy on their shoulders. The cheering from the Ravenclaw stands was polite while the excitement radiating from the Gryffindor fans was nonexistent; a first year Hufflepuff could have pointed out the obvious rivalry between the lions and the snakes. All that was no matter, though. The whoops and hollers of pride from the Slytherin stands made it nearly impossible to hear anything else.

It was a Saturday morning in October and quidditch season was well underway. Slytherin house had already battled successfully against Ravenclaw and now had their win against Hufflepuff to chalk up under their belt; Gryffindor was scheduled to take place in two weeks, and with their champion winning streak up until that point, the snakes had little fear that they would be claiming the house championship. Under the guidance of keeper and captain Lucius Malfoy, anything felt possible.

Narcissa Black stood in the huddled mass of Slytherin fans clapping and cheering themselves hoarse as their victorious quidditch team flew by before landing to head to the showers.

"They were fantastic, don't you think? Merlin, those saves! Malfoy's really hit his peak this year!" Her sister, Bellatrix, elbowed her in the ribs with a knowing smirk. "I bet he's all hot and sweaty right now, peeling off his quidditch uniform, standing under the steaming water of the shower, droplets trickling down his hard muscular body-"

"Shut up!" Narcissa gave her sister a shove and pulled her green and silver scarf up over her chin, but it was quite obvious that the dark pink stain on her cheeks was not solely due to the harsh wind. She didn't need Bellatrix to put those kinds of images of the blond seventh year in her mind; her overactive imagination was perfectly capable of doing that on its own.

Bellatrix gave a witchy cackle – perfectly fitting, if you'd ask Narcissa – and hooked her arm in her sister's to guide her out of the stands towards the Hogwarts castle.

"Oh please, Cissy; you know I'm only joking. And you know I'm right. You _fancy_ him like nothing else; it's pretty obvious, really."

The blonde glared tiny blue daggers at her sister's profile and gave a harsh tug on her arm. Her resulting stumble down a step pulled her lips into a satisfied smirk.

The Slytherin common room was even greener than it usually was, if that were possible. Students had transfigured parchment into green and silver streamers that hung in loops from the ceiling. Tables had been cleared off of the remnants of halfhearted study sessions and stacked with bottles of Ogden's firewhiskey, butterbeer, sweets procured through bribery of house elves, and pumpkin juice for the more sensitive stomachs of the little first years who were eager to join in the celebration along with the rest of their house. Everyone was bedecked in the house colors and eagerly milling about, a few of the older students having a competition to see who could get more drunk in a shorter amount of time.

All this celebration and the victorious quidditch team hadn't even arrived yet.

Narcissa sat perched on a window ledge, the verdant light streaming in from the window paling in its intensity as the sun outside began to set. In her hand, she swirled a small glass of firewhiskey, watching wistfully as the ice cubes clacked against each other.

"So. You going to talk to him?"

Narcissa nearly dropped her glass, starting at the sound of her sister's voice too near to her ear to be welcome. She shoved Bellatrix's shoulder, pushing her to an acceptable distance and skewering her with what she felt was a withering expression.

Bellatrix obviously thought otherwise as she cackled and clapped the younger girl on the back. "_Please_. Leave the sour little bitch face to me." Hopping up onto the ledge and squishing the blonde closer to her, she resumed her interrogation. "Are you going to talk to him?"

Narcissa pretended not to know whom she was speaking of and swallowed down the contents of her glass, the sting of the alcohol igniting a fire in her mouth and burning a path down her throat. On the contrary, she knew very well whom Bellatrix was referring to. That being said, she had no intention of striking up a conversation with him, if only because she knew that if she were to do so, she would stumble over every word that bumbled forth from her mouth and make a sodding fool of herself – something a Black simply did _not_ do. She was supposed to be calm, poised, and icily cool. She was supposed to be intimidatingly respectable. She was supposed to command attention.

Around Lucius, she did anything but.

To be frank, Narcissa wasn't entirely sure what it was about the blonde seventh year that always transmogrified her from her normally stoic self into a blubbering buffoon. He was handsome, yes, but so were other members of Slytherin house and, she would hate to admit it, a few Ravenclaws. It was true that was he good at quidditch, but no one saw her flailing around the Potter prat. Was it because he was a pureblood? Once again, no. The Lestrange brothers were both purebloods, and although her sister mentioned how adorable it would be if the two of them married a set of brothers, she simply did not picture herself attached to Rabastan's side.

No, only Lucius kicked her heart into a frightening pitter pat, made her palms grow sweaty with nerves, made her mouth dry up and made it impossible to speak.

"Bella, you _know_ I can't talk to him. I want to, but I just _can't_. I-"

With a wave of her hand, her dark haired older sister silenced her.

"Pish. You can very well speak to anyone if you just put your mind to it. You're always talking to Severus," responded Bellatrix.

Narcissa rolled her eyes, placing her empty firewhiskey glass on the ledge beside her. Severus was a couple years younger than her and she could _talk_ to him because they shared a common interest in potions. Lucius, on the other hand… he was disarmingly handsome, a fantastic quidditch player, and practically perfect.

She opened her mouth to speak but found her words dying in her throat as the Slytherin quidditch team clambered through the passageway in the wall and into the common room to the cheers of rest of the house. Students crashed upon the players like a wave, each vying for a fragment of attention as they congratulated them on a job well done. From her perch on the window ledge, Narcissa could see the older Lestrange brother, Rodolphus, with his arm around his best mate's shoulder as the two of them sauntered to the table of treats, each grabbing a bottle of butterbeer for themselves.

Bellatrix hopped off of her seat, eager to join the revelers and greet Rodolphus. "If you're not going to marry my boyfriend's brother, least you can do is marry his best friend. I swear, if you don't talk to Lucius _once_ tonight, I'm dying your hair red in your sleep." Offering up a feline grin, she waved _ta-ta_ over her shoulder and rushed to Rodolphus's side, who released his hold on Lucius and picked up his girl in a dramatic swinging hug.

Narcissa gaped in horror at the retreating form of her sister and grabbed a fistful of blonde hair. She wouldn't _dare_.

Her eyes grew wide and she dropped her hair, combing her fingers through it to make sure it hung neatly to her shoulders, for just as Rodolphus had shifted his attention from his best friend to his girlfriend, the man in question turned his gaze to where Bellatrix had come from: the windowsill where she remained settled. His lips were pulled into a grin she couldn't quite interpret as he offered a wave in her direction.

Narcissa forced her features into a smile – or at least she hoped it was a smile; she wasn't sure if her face was cooperating since she felt paralyzed in her seat – and waved back.

There were many reactions that her tiny little wave could have elicited from Lucius. The first was that he could completely ignore her and turn back to his teammates to celebrate. The second was that he could completely ignore her and join in on the drinking game a raucous group of sixth years had decided to conjure up. The third was that he could completely ignore her and sprawl on a sofa by the fire. To be frank, she was expecting him to completely ignore her.

What she was _not_ expecting him to do was to stroll over to where she was seated.

_Breathe, Cissy, breathe_, she thought to herself, chanting the words in her head like a mantra, believing that if she pretended to be confident, she would act confident and not fall flat on her face.

"Hey," he drawled, leaning against the wall next to her in the absolute picture of relaxed elegance. He brought his bottle of butterbeer to his lips and took a swig, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he swallowed.

_Confidence gone_.

"Hey yourself," Narcissa replied in what she thought was a coy tone. Surprisingly, he seemed as if he accepted it as such and offered her a disarming grin. She never thought she would be on the receiving end of one of his signature smiles. She desperately wanted to keep it coming. "That was some fancy flying out there today."

His smile seemed to grow some, lighting his grey eyes with mirth. "Why, thank you. Hufflepuff really threw their best at us, but it looks as though their best just wasn't enough."

"I'd say. If only our keeper let in a few goals, maybe they'd be able to leave with _some_ dignity," she teased. Merlin, was she _flirting_? Was she actually being _successful_ in a conversation with Lucius bloody _Malfoy_?

He tilted his head back and laughed, running a hand absently through his slightly damp hair.

Narcissa couldn't believe her luck. She had actually said something that he found amusing. Imagine that.

"Hufflepuff? Dignity? Never thought I'd hear those two words being used in the same sentence," he retorted with a wink.

Her throat instantly felt as if it had closed, all air no longer capable of filling her lungs nevertheless powering her vocal chords into producing some sort of speech. Two faint patches of pink formed on the apples of her cheeks and her mind went helpfully blank. Just her luck that a simple wink would throw her completely off kilter. She was _Narcissa Black_. She was not supposed to melt into a pile of goo around a boy; what was she, some blithering schoolgirl?

The witty response that should have come next never did. She simply sat there looking completely transfixed, frozen to her spot. She wished the glass windowpane behind her would disappear so that she could climb through the opening into the great lake and drown. Perhaps she'd serve as a delightful little snack for the giant squid. Anything to get her out of the situation of absolute mortification she had managed to stumble into.

The silent seconds passed excruciatingly slow, seeming like hours. She had tried to come up with an intelligent response – something she was capable of doing under normal circumstances – but had only been able to produce a girlish giggle.

Lucius certainly seemed unfazed as he took yet another swig from his bottle and settled on the window ledge next to her.

Narcissa's heart thrashed wildly in her chest and her cheeks darkened as she shifted ever so slightly to allow him more room. Unfortunately for her delicate feminine wiles, space on their seat was not something Lucius seemed to want. On the contrary, he followed her movement so that his thigh pressed flush against hers and even stretched the arm that was not currently occupied with a bottle of butterbeer behind her so that it encircled her waist.

He took a deep breath, sighing casually, and rest his head against the glass of the window. "Some party. If I'd known this was waiting for me, I'd have caught the snitch myself."

Narcissa knew that the social norm dictated that it was her turn to say something. The part of her mind that was usually on top of such things, on the other hand, decided at that very moment to say to hell with the social norm. Awkward silence was the new black.

"That would've been funny, no? A keeper abandoning his posts to chase after the snitch?" She offered what she thought was a charming smile, but the voice inside her head kept chiding, _stupid, stupid, stupid!_

For some strange reason, Lucius didn't find it stupid. Once again, her lack of wit seemed to entertain him and he chuckled quietly. He sipped from his bottle before turning to her with searching steel grey eyes. They met with hers, penetrating deeply into her very core, petrifying her to the spot like a basilisk. She bit on the inside of her cheek to keep herself from opening her mouth and saying something idiotic. _Hard_.

Lucius's lips quirked into a faint grin before he opened them to say, "You're a fun girl, Miss Black. I do quite enjoy your company."

No amount of self-discipline or instruction in pureblood etiquette could have kept Narcissa's jaw from falling open in surprise. Her light blue eyes grew into wide orbs of disbelief and she all but shook her head to bring herself back to reality. Instead, she secretively pinched her thigh with the hand she had been resting on her lap.

_Bollocks. What am I supposed to _say_?_

In this sort of situation, what was it that girls did? She had seen some of the young women Lucius entertained, and they all shared similar characteristics: an overt lack of brains, bounteous breasts, and a nasal intonation in the way that they spoke.

Narcissa differed from these girls in every regard.

Perhaps she could summon up a few of their mannerisms? She had watched them giggle, place their hands lightly on his arm, lean in to him… No. One thing that Narcissa Black did _not_ do – at least, not _consciously_ – was giggle. She also doubted that there was very much room on their little perch to lean any closer to him, and touching him was out of the question. She would probably melt into a useless pile of goo at his feet; Merlin knew that she was already barely holding herself together with his arm around her waist.

Narcissa decided to do the only thing that she knew she had a modicum of mastery over: act demure. She lowered her lids, her thick lashes batting coyly, and offered him a tiny shy smile. "I assure you, Mr. Malfoy, that the feeling is mutual."

Lucius seemed to accept this as perfectly satisfactory and leaned in somewhat closer to her. His grin had taken on an almost predatory expression, as if he could devour her on the spot with his eyes. When he spoke next, his voice had lowered to a rumbly growl that sent shivers coursing through her. "I'm rather pleased to hear that."

Narcissa was utterly and completely helpless at that moment. Every shred of her being wanted to lean closer and end the inches of distance between them. She wanted to press her lips against his, feel the softness of his mouth, press her body against the hardness of his chest, card her fingers through his luxurious blond hair.

"Hey you two!"

Thankfully, Bellatrix had chosen just that moment to appear in front of them with two bottles of butterbeer in her hand and a beaming Rodolphus. Judging by his messed up hair and the reddish tint to both of their lips, her sister must have engaged her boyfriend in a celebratory snog sometime during her conversation with Lucius.

Narcissa was snapped out of her reverie and turned to welcome her sister with a small smile. She took the proffered bottle of butterbeer and pressed it to her lips, eagerly taking a healthy swig in hopes that it would help her gain her bearings after that little scene.

"Woah, woah, slow down there, Cissy! Don't want to get too tipsy, now do we? That's just not ladylike," said Rodolphus, holding up both of his hands.

Narcissa glared two tiny blue daggers, successfully wiping the smug grin off of his face as she took yet another swig. "Do _not_ call me Cissy."

His eyes were wide and he looked hurt, much like a puppy dog that had just been ruthlessly kicked. "But Bella calls-"

Bellatrix swung her hand into his abdomen with a hearty smack.

"Ow!"

"Bella calls her that because Bella is her older sister and can do what she wants," she said, one hand saucily placed on her hip.

Lucius raised a single blond eyebrow as an amused expression crossed his features. "Is that so?" he practically growled into Narcissa's ear. A flush crept up her neck and across her face, dying her a light pink up to the very root of her hair – a flush that did not go unnoticed by the older Lestrange brother whose smile had been returned to his face as he watched the exchange in front of him.

She wasn't sure what had come over her, but all of a sudden, she felt a tiny shred of confidence. Perhaps it was the presence of her sister, which always seemed to have some sort of calming effect on her. Perhaps it was the disgustingly smug expression on that vile Rodolphus's face. At that moment, though, it didn't exactly matter _why_ she was feeling like less of a dithering child, but the fact that she was able to give Lucius a response that did not sound like it had been taken from a five-year-old's story book. Narcissa pressed the pads of her fingertips against Lucius's chest, pushing him away a fraction of an inch, before replying, "Quit teasing." Her face had taken up its previous expression of slightly tainted innocence that made Lucius smile victoriously.

Bellatrix's eyes narrowed in scrutiny and she crossed her arms over chest. Well, _this_ was awfully interesting. The same girl who said that she was incapable of having a conversation with the blond was now _flirting_. This certainly called for an explanation. Later. In the dormitory.

A pile of bottles of butterbeer and a slew of shots of firewhiskey later, Narcissa, her sister, and the two quidditch players that had been keeping them company sat on the rug by the fire.

"And _WHAM_!" Rodolphus mimed a swing of a bat. "I sen' tha' bludger _wailing_ a' Cooper! Bloody chaser didn' know what 'it 'im! Almost feel sorry for the kid. Ickle third year, you know?" The alcohol had quite obviously impaired his ability to speak.

It also had impaired their ability to determine what was the appropriate reaction for something that was moderately funny. The story had the lot of them in stitches, Narcissa clutching at her sides to keep from bursting in laughter and Bellatrix hiccupping for air while being consumed with a fit of giggles. Lucius, lounging in an elegant spread of casual comfort, seemed to be the only one who wasn't so deeply affected. He had allowed himself a quiet chuckle, but it was nothing in comparison to the boisterous guffaw that tore itself from Rodolphus's throat.

The common room had emptied so that the only ones remaining were the four of them. The decorations hung limply from the ceiling and trash littered every available space. The house elves would have a riot after everyone went to sleep.

"That was quite the play, Lestrange. You and your brother are the best set of beaters this team has seen in a century," Lucius drawled.

Rodolphus looked ecstatic to receive this sort of praise from their captain. "And you the best keeper!"

Lucius shook his head and, pushing against the floor, hesitantly got to his feet. "And you the worst at holding your liquor. Up, you. Time for bed. We shan't keep these two lovely ladies awake any longer." Rodolphus scrambled up to standing, stretching his arms over his head and yawning dramatically. He scooped up Bellatrix into his arms, who simply hooted in laughter as he picked her up, and placed a big sloppy kiss on her mouth. Narcissa, somewhat scandalized by the display of affection, averted her gaze. Lucius extended a hand in her direction that she gratefully took, allowing him to help pull her to her feet.

"I enjoyed spending the evening with you, Miss Black," he said.

Luckily for her, Narcissa could explain away the blush on her cheeks as being a result of having had too much to drink that evening if it were necessary. "Likewise," she murmured, nervously catching her lower lip between a set of white teeth.

"I would like to see you again. For now, I'm afraid I must wish you goodnight." With that, he leaned forward ever so slightly and grazed his lips against her knuckles before disappearing off up the stairs to the boys' dormitory with Rodolphus in tow.

Narcissa stood rooted to her spot. The flush on her cheeks could no longer be described as a faint pink; it was the same burning red as a certain species of nightshade that grew off in the herbology greenhouses. Bellatrix stood opposite her with her arms crossed over her chest in the essence of satisfaction. Not only had she managed to talk to him that night, but also she had somehow charmed Lucius enough to incite a goodbye like that. How she did that, she didn't know. Perhaps there was a chance for yet. Maybe, just _maybe_, she could make him fall for her.

Narcissa collapsed in a wistful heap on one of the black leather chairs that circled the fireplace.

Bellatrix leaned over the seat and toyed with a strand of her blonde hair. "You're utterly hopeless, Cissy."

She most certainly was, and _oh_, did she know it.

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><p>AN: Whoo-hoo, a chapter's up! Chapter 2 will hopefully be up soon. Please rate and review - it'll mean the world to me and help me come out with better chapters much quicker!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Your feedback means a lot to me, and it helps me come up with chapters quicker. I really like to know what you're thinking and whether or not you're enjoying it, for what's an author without readers? :D**

**Disclaimer: The following characters do not belong to me. If they did, I wouldn't be where I am right now. I would be living in the lap of luxury off on my own private island, completely with my very own Lucius. They are the property of the lovely queen J.K. Rowling and the people in charge of the movies.**

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><p>Lucius awoke the next morning without the exquisite throbbing hangover that quite obviously plagued his friend Rodolphus who lay groaning in his bed, pulling the drapes on his four-poster to hide the bit of green light that was streaming through the windows. The man never seemed to learn. Not only was he bollocks at holding his liquor, but he was equally incapable of brewing a remedy potion nearly potent enough to ease his headache.<p>

"Merlin. Never let me drink like that again," Rodolphus moaned, squeezing his eyes shut and pressing his fingertips against his temples.

Lucius couldn't help but laugh at his friend's obvious misfortune. It was something that he found awfully entertaining, and what would life be like without a bit of fun? Sure, he would have to dip into his potion stores if he wanted to see him in any sort of decent shape, but he could do that later. At that particular moment, it was much more fun to watch him writhe. "I'll be sure to keep you sober next time. Malfoys' honor."

The darker haired boy pulled the curtain from his bed just enough so that he could scowl in the blond's direction, although the movement quickly made him regret it. "You? Honorable? Never thought I'd see the day."

Lucius throw his pillow across the room, catching the beater deftly in the face. "I'll have you know that I am quite honorable indeed," he said with a frown. Or at least, he was rather proficient at acting honorable enough to keep a girl interested. Then again, there were plenty of girls who would prefer to see him at his _least_ honorable…

Rodolphus snorted. "Yeah… Narcissa certainly thought so." He hadn't missed the girl's obvious attraction for his friend the night before; the tiniest bit of attention from him seemed to have her blushing to the roots of her hair.

Lucius's lips twisted into a little smile as he thought of the petite blonde, so different from her older sister in every way; blonde while the other was dark haired, innocent while the other had a mean roguish streak… To be honest, she was the reason why he wasn't in the same boat as his friend at the moment. Instead of drinking excessively the previous night, he had been watching her carefully, studying her mannerisms. The way she covered her mouth with her fingers to stifle her giggles in fear of being too loud… the way her little finger jutted out ever so slightly, no matter what it was she was drinking… All of it was infuriatingly adorable.

He leaned back in his bed, his arms folded casually underneath his head, and focused his eyes on a patch of ceiling he deemed interesting enough to concentrate on. For a moment, he appeared to be thinking very hard, a slight furrow forming between his brows in a pensive expression, as if he were trying to deduce an arithmancy problem scrawled in ancient runes.

"How long do you think it'll take for her to let me shag her?"

Rodolphus spluttered and gaped at his friend, looking completely aghast. "You are _not_ shagging my girlfriend's little sister. Do you even _know_ Bellatrix? She'll hex my balls off if she finds out I let you try to worm your way into her knickers without putting up a fight." The older Black sister had a strong attachment to the youngest; she would not be afraid to physically maim anyone who so much as poked her heart with a cotton ball.

The words made the blond frown and he crossed his arms defiantly over his chest. Malfoys did not _worm_ their way into girls' knickers. They acted as charming as bloody possible and flirted their arses off. If that didn't work, they resorted to flattery and bribery. Worming sounded weasel-like and uncouth.

"To be frank, I don't care what Bellatrix will do. She doesn't need to know about anything, so don't you even think about opening up your mouth. All I'm asking for is a little one-off. It's not like I'm going to _marry_ the girl." Lucius wrinkled his nose and pulled himself to a seated position. Honestly. It shouldn't be that difficult to convince a girl to sleep with him. Practically all Slytherin girls – and a few from other houses – had had thoughts along that vein before. It wasn't like he was going to develop any frivolous feelings for the girl or let her reciprocate any; they just had to come to a mutual agreement that shagging would do them both a load of good.

Rodolphus hit the heel of his palm against his forehead, wincing in the process at both the pain the action caused himself and the obvious arrogance that dripped from his friend's voice. "_That's_ the bloody issue…"

Lucius pretended he didn't hear his friend's slight objection and began to rifle through his trunk for a self-inking quill, a dark journal, and the phial of potion he knew the other would be asking for. Not taking his eyes off of the forest green leather-bound book in his hands, he tossed the phial across the room in Rodolphus's direction with the aim of someone rather practiced in the action. He flipped to a clean page and in his neat and angular handwriting scrawled the name _Narcissa Black_. Beneath the heading of the girl's name, he began to write the few things he knew about her, including her family information and the annoyingly cute habits of hers that he'd noticed during the party. Once that was out of the way, he continued to brainstorm just what it was that he had done the previous night to elicit positive responses from her.

The phial bonked Rodolphus in the head, and he rubbed the spot gingerly as he uncorked the potion with his teeth and swallowed the contents. Shuddering as the feeling of his pain evaporated from him, he leaned forward on his bed and fixed the blond with a rather cross expression. "You're not even listening to me, are you?"

"No," was Lucius's curt response. He didn't pause in his writing for a minute. Being physical with the youngest Black almost seemed to make her feel uncomfortable; she had practically wriggled away from him when he had sat down next to her on the window ledge. He'd had to snake his arm around her waist to keep her close. Acting charming, however, had wondrous effects. A simple kiss on the back of her hand had worked dramatically and produced fantastic results. He tapped his quill absently against his jaw, thinking of other things he had done all the while.

"You are absolutely disgusting," Rodolphus spat, locking his friend with a withering gaze that could have quite literally caused a few plants to wilt or spontaneously combust into flames.

"Thank you," was his response as he, seemingly satisfied with his work, snapped the book closed and tucked it under his pillow. All that was left now was to find the girl and put a few theories into practice. He had to test her carefully to discern what it was that made her swoon, what could possibly help ease her way out of her robes.

"No, I mean it, and not in a good way. Were you just taking _notes_ on the poor bird?" Rodolphus was pulling off his pajamas and shoving his legs into a pair of trousers.

"Oh, come off it. I'm just trying to make a plan. You of all people shouldn't be scolding me for _planning_," retorted Lucius, also disrobing and dressing in a well-tailored pair of slacks and a dark grey jumper. It being Sunday, they weren't required to dress in their school clothing. However, just because it was Sunday did not mean that he lounged about in frumpy attire.

Rodolphus simply scowled as he followed him out of the dormitories towards the Great Hall for breakfast. He could only hope that the gods were listening to his silent pleas to keep Narcissa safe from Lucius Malfoy.

A piteous groan came from under a lump of emerald green blankets, atop of which sat a dark haired girl too eager for the early hour that it was.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" whined Bellatrix, alternating between kneading her sister's shoulders and tugging ruthlessly at the bedcoverings that the little blonde was clinging to for dear life.

"My head hurts," moaned Narcissa, shutting her eyes even tighter as a sharp pain pulsed through her temples. The older girl simply rolled her eyes and reached into her pocket for a phial filled with a strange viscous potion. She uncorked it and stuffed it in the previously sleeping girl's mouth.

Narcissa practically choked as she swallowed down the foreign liquid, spluttering and kicking and shoving and flailing beneath Bellatrix's weight. "What the bloody hell was that for? You could've warned me before you tried to kill me!" She wiped a bit of the potion that had dribbled down her chin with the back of her hand, skewering her sister with as much ferocity as she could muster that early in the morning.

"That'll teach you to try and drink with the boys," was Bellatrix's prompt reply. Noticing a momentary lapse in the girl's concentration, she ripped the sheets and quilt off of the bed, exposing her to the frigid October morning air.

No longer toasty in her bed, Narcissa practically shrieked as she dove for her trunk to pull out a warm jumper, woolen skirt, and thick stockings. "I absolutely loathe you," she growled as she got dressed. Her sister seemed completely uninterested in her frustration and faked a yawn, watching her get dressed. "This isn't even your dormitory. Don't you belong with the seventh years?" Once again, Bellatrix acted as if her sister's words didn't matter and ignored them accordingly.

"Unnecessary information," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "What _is_ necessary, however, is an explanation for last night."

The blonde froze in the act of pulling her jumper over her head, thankful that the knit fabric in front of her face hid the obvious leak of color from her cheeks. What exactly was Bellatrix getting at? Had she noticed how she was acting around Lucius? Had she noticed that not only had she managed to scrounge up enough courage to talk to him, but she had even forayed into the world of using her feminine wiles to charm a man? No. Impossible. Simply impossible. She had been secretive enough… Well, not _secretive_ in the literal meaning of the word, but discreet in her feelings towards the blond seventh year. Or at least, she had thought she had been. Had she been _that_ obvious?

She straightened her clothing and plopped down on her bed with a groan, burying her face in her hands.

She _had_.

She must've flushed as dark a magenta as was humanly possible without being confused for someone suffocating at least a million times that night. To be frank, though, she _had_ been practically suffocating, surrounded by the all-powerful – and deliciously sexy – aura of Lucius Malfoy. Although he was only a year her senior, it was no secret that he was a man to be reckoned with and therefore a desirable beau. To think he might have been interested in her and had actually enjoyed spending time with her… How _stupid_ could she be? He was obviously just having himself some post-quidditch victory fun, toying with her to satisfy his whims. What would he ever want with _her_?

Sensing the blonde's discomfort, Bellatrix placed a tentative hand on her shoulder. "Before you start driving yourself insane by overthinking things, I'll have you know that you weren't as much of an idiot as you probably think you were."

Narcissa lifted her face tentatively from her hands, eyeing the dark haired girl with a wary expression.

"You were actually rather brilliant." Bellatrix took back her hand and buffed her fingernails against her shirt, examining them as if they were the most interesting things in the world.

Narcissa's eyes glittered with excitement and she hopped to her feet. "Really? You really think so?" _You mean, I didn't make a blubbering fool of myself?_

"You were kind of cute, in an I'm-trying-to-be-bad-but-I'm-really-not sort of way…"

Narcissa deflated, a slight frown creasing her lips.

Bellatrix tapped the girl beneath her chin. "But he bought every second of it."

She regained her excitement once again and practically beamed. So she hadn't been imagining the slight bit of interest on Lucius's part? She actually stood a chance?

The older girl fidgeted slightly in her place before grabbing her sister's hand and tugging her out of the Slytherin dungeons. "That doesn't mean you should go after him, though. Lucius can be a sodding wanker. I don't want you getting too close to him."

If Lucius so much as even _thought_ of hurting Narcissa, he would be a bloody dead man.

By the time Lucius and Rodolphus had arrived to the Great Hall, the very set of sisters they were looking for – or at least the sister the blond was looking for and her brunette bodyguard, as he saw it – were already seated and cheerfully tucking into their breakfast, not rumpled in the least by the previous night's festivities. Considering how the party had gone the previous night and how the majority of Slytherin house was either not present at breakfast or quite obviously in pain, it certainly was a feat to be managed. Knowing Bellatrix, however, it was no surprise that she probably had a store of hangover remedy potions to rival Lucius's, if only for the fact that on nights when Rodolphus managed to get himself drunk, he also managed to find himself in her bed.

Lucius scanned the backs of the sisters with a calculating eye before strategically sitting down next to Narcissa who sat across from the dark haired girl. Rodolphus seemed to be giving him a dirty look as he took his post next to his girlfriend; he could only begin to imagine the thoughts running through his friend's head when he had that expression on his face, and none of them were decent.

"Good morning," Lucius greeted in his signature drawled intonation. A small smile tugged at his lips as he noticed the girl to his side starting at his presence.

"Good morning," she replied in a sheepishly quiet voice. Perhaps she was going to need a little bit of wheedling to loosen up as she had by his side at the party…

"Morning, it is. The wizengamot's still open for debate on whether or not it's good," snapped Bellatrix, almost too harshly for the early hour that it was. Lucius took it in stride, though, inclining his head slightly towards her in acknowledgement. Rodolphus, on the other hand, had suddenly become extremely interested in the pile of scrambled eggs he was spooning onto his plate, his mouth creased in an obviously satisfied grin.

Lucius would have to remember to include some sort of painful and tedious strategy for the beater to learn during quidditch practice.

Deciding it best to ignore Bellatrix for the time being, he turned his attention completely towards the younger sister as he served himself from the trays of breakfast food. "How are you?" he asked conversationally, hoping to strike up some sort of small talk with the girl. If he could only get her to loosen up a little bit… did he have to take her away from her sister to do so? They had been doing just fine last night by the window without the other two.

That was it. He had to convince her to go somewhere with him if he wanted to tease out the little bit of a saucy and feisty girl he had gotten a peek of at the party.

"I'm doing well, thank you," Narcissa replied, raising a dainty bite of scrambled eggs to her mouth and chewing silently.

Lucius's eyes trailed the fork as it disappeared between her full red lips, the sight of which caused some restless stirrings in the pit of his stomach. He turned back to his breakfast, tearing into it with gusto, as he tried to banish the thoughts of those lips circling around something _else_. Merlin, it was only morning and the gesture hadn't been sensual in the least. Had it really been _that long_? He would have to work harder to get her into bed _fast_, or he'd have to move on to someone else. There was always the option of his right hand… He found himself scowling at a muffin he'd plopped onto his plate as if everything was all its fault.

"And yourself?" chimed Narcissa, traces of a smile glittering in her light blue eyes. Goodness, could she _tell_? No, he told himself. She was far too innocent and naïve to think about anything like _that_. He knew that she must have a cunning and sly streak to her – or else she wouldn't have ended up in Slytherin – and had more sense than she let on, but no… He was just getting paranoid for no reason whatsoever. Why was he feeling so nervous?

"Great," he said, fixing her with a steel gaze that did not betray any of the miniscule internal battle he had been having. With that, she turned back to her breakfast, a faint pink flush tinting her otherwise pale complexion. Perfect. That was _much_ more like it.

"May I ask if you have any plans for this afternoon?" he inquired, still not taking his eyes off of her, not even when Bellatrix snorted audibly and Rodolphus bit his knuckle to stifle a guffaw.

Narcissa shot an irked expression at her sister's noticeable outburst. When she replied to him, there was a glimmer of the more confident and flirtatious girl he had been lucky enough to get a peek of before. "You may," she said. "As of yet, I have none."

Bellatrix's expression, which had been one that blatantly stated that she thought Lucius to be an idiot and found the situation to be humorous, shifted to one of incredulity at her sister's response. Although she knew the girl to be attracted to the blond, she hadn't exactly expected her to allow him into her life with open arms, especially after her warning when they had left the Slytherin dungeons.

Lucius's grin grew practically tenfold. In his head, a tiny group of cheerleaders had just erupted into raucous applause. _Point for me_. "Would you like to go for a walk with me around the grounds?"

Narcissa's tiny shy smile was the only answer he needed.

Lucius had been correct in thinking that Narcissa would open up to him if she weren't with her sister. Once they had finished up with breakfast, they had made their way out to the grounds and were now circling the lake in companionable silence. Already she seemed much more at ease as she even allowed herself tiny giggles that grew into comfortable laughs when he told her something that she found amusing.

"But enough about that… I'm sure you probably get enough quidditch stories from Rodolphus," said Lucius.

Narcissa's usually serene features creased slightly as she wrinkled her nose. He knew that, since her sister and his friend were a couple and most likely going to be married, she spent quite a bit of time around him and his brother Rabastan. To be frank, he was almost surprised that he didn't see her walking around on the arm of the younger Lestrange. Perhaps the amount of time she was forced to be around the two of them had turned her off completely from that family. If that were the case, things were shaping up to be much better for him indeed. It would be much easier to get a girl who had no romantic feelings for anyone else in between his sheets.

"Sometimes, I wonder if quidditch is all he knows," she said, although her voice was not accusatory or negative in the least; although she, on the most part, disliked Rodolphus, she respected him as one did their potential future brother-in-law.

Lucius nodded sagely, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "He loves it, that's for sure, but who doesn't? Flying… it gives you a sense of power that very few things can rival."

Narcissa speared Lucius with an inquisitive look. "Power. Funny thing, coming from a Malfoy. I thought you lot had quite enough of that as it is."

Lucius appeared slightly taken aback and it took a moment for him to recover. He placed a hand against his chest in mock offense. "Miss Black; you wound me."

She shook her head and shoved his arm lightly. "Oh, please , Lucius. It doesn't take a Ravenclaw to know that you and your pureblooded family have a bit of influence"

He found himself quite pleased with the reaction he had managed to pull from her; his arm tingled rather pleasantly where her hand had connected with it. "As does yours… much like a pureblood family should." As soon of the words were out of his mouth, he regretted it. He had strong political beliefs that were no secret. Many of those in Slytherin house agreed with him, but some found the philosophy of blood purity to be outdated. He hoped that Narcissa wasn't one of those people. If he had said something that turned her off from him, he could say hello to his right hand.

Narcissa was silent for a moment, her hands linked behind her back as they walked along the lake. Her face seemed pensive, as if hundreds of thoughts were racing behind her eyes on tiny little brooms, in search of the elusive snitch of words to perfectly voice her opinion. "Purebloods should hold the power in our political system. It only makes sense. Muggleborns, halfbloods… They don't know enough about our traditions to truly take part in our world. If they were to be given any sort of influence…" She shook her head. "It just wouldn't work. They would pollute our world."

Once she had finished speaking, Lucius released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and smiled a genuine smile. "I am very glad you agree."

The hours that passed by felt like minutes. Lucius had taken Narcissa through the grounds to the boathouse by the like, to tiny secret gardens where he often spent his studying time, and to the quidditch pitch where he even managed to convince her to join him in a quick fly. Once they had landed on the sand, she swiftly told him that she simply _did not fly_ and would not be doing so ever again, despite the fact that her voice certainly betrayed that she had enjoyed herself immensely.

All in all, the day had been a success. Lucius had learned that she – quite thankfully – stood on the same political platform as he and actually enjoyed her studies. She seemed somewhat like a Ravenclaw in that regard, or perhaps like the younger Slytherin, Severus Snape. She had a penchant for potions, arithmancy, and ancient runes since all of those subjects were the most mentally exhaustive and filled her with an unrivaled sense of accomplishment when she managed to do something perfectly in her classes. Surprisingly, she also enjoyed defense against the dark arts, although her reason for doing so was Slytherin to its very core. She defended herself by saying that she found the dark arts to be very interesting and rather enjoyed dueling when given the chance; what better way to be a better witch than know the spells and techniques her opponents would be using to protect themselves from her? He found that fact oddly endearing.

The girl was full of surprises. Just when he thought he understood her, she said something to throw him completely off kilter. When he thought he had managed to make her comfortable, she clammed up. When he thought wooing her had become a lost cause, she became playful and coy. In short, he almost felt as if spending extended amounts of time with her would cause him emotional whiplash. It was going to be very difficult to get what he wanted from her.

By the time the two of them had returned to the castle, they had missed lunch by a long time and the great hall was already being cleared of dinner. Lucius felt oddly guilty that he had taken up so much of her day, but pretended not to show it. She _had_ agreed to join him on a walk. It wasn't his fault that the walk had lasted longer than expected.

A quiet rumbling sound came from her stomach. Her hands pressed against her abdomen, she looked positively aghast that such an improper and unladylike sound had come from her.

Lucius simply laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "Hungry?" he teased, a single blond eyebrow raised in challenge.

"Quite," she admitted sheepishly, her cheeks tinged pink.

"Come with me; the house elves – disgusting little creatures, really – in the kitchens would be more than happy to fix up something for us."

Narcissa nodded and followed after him down the corridors towards the kitchens. "Can't we get in trouble for doing this?" she asked.

"Only if we get caught," he responded.

Thankfully, no one intercepted them on their little mission for food and they soon found themselves in the kitchens surrounded by bustling house elves. One particularly irritating-looking creature hurried over to them, tugging on its bat-like ears. "Good evening, Mister Malfoy," it greeted, bowing low enough that its long and pointed nose scraped the ground.

"Hello, Tumbly," he responded. "Would you mind fetching something for us to eat?"

The house elf, having just straightened up, bowed lowly once again before disappearing into the kitchens with a "yes sir, right away, sir." It returned almost as quickly as it had disappeared with a box of sandwiches and desserts and a bottle of pumpkin juice.

Lucius nodded once curtly before striding out of the kitchens without a single thank you. Narcissa, although used to house elves and not fond of them in the least either, waved in thanks to the elf before disappearing with the blond. Tumbly practically keeled over backwards at the gesture before hurrying about to its duties.

Huddled around the fire in the Slytherin common room, Lucius watched as Narcissa dipped a spoon into a small cup of chocolate mousse and lifted it to her mouth to take a bite. Her lips closed around the piece of silverware and her eyelids fluttered close in appreciation of the treat. She even allowed herself a quiet moan of pleasure, which quite unfortunately rekindled the embers that had been sparked in the pit of his stomach over breakfast. Her pink tongue darted momentarily from her mouth to lick a small patch of chocolate from her lip.

"The house elves have really outdone themselves this time," she said, digging in once again.

Lucius cleared his throat and turned his gaze back on the flickering flames in the grate of the fireplace. "Quite," he muttered, his voice somewhat rough.

Narcissa finished up the last of her dessert and placed the remains in the box. The house elves would return sometime in the night to clean up after them. Getting to her feet, she smoothed imaginary creases from her skirt and tugged nervously on the sleeve of her jumper. Following her lead, Lucius also stood.

She shifted her feet and absently tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "I really enjoyed spending time with you today," she murmured, finally lifting her eyes to meet his cool grey gaze.

"The pleasure was all mine, Miss Black," Lucius replied, his eyes lighting up with delight. Perhaps his plan was working… It wouldn't be long before he could squirrel her away to his room and do all sorts of devilish deeds to her. "I do hope you'll agree to meeting with me again sometime," he said.

Narcissa nodded, a wide grin stretching her mouth into an adorable expression of glee. "I would like that very much."

Lucius had just been about to reach for her hand to place a kiss on it as he had the night before, but was surprised when he was met with something else entirely.

"Goodnight," Narcissa said. She stood up on her toes and brushed her lips softly against his cheek. With that, she hurried up the stairs to the girls' dormitory, giggling and waving goodbye.

Lucius's eyes grew in shock and he stood still in his place, completely at a loss as to what to do. His hand drifted idly to his face, his fingers tracing the place where the imprint of her lips still burned. His heart gave a small uncharacteristic lurch; although tiny, it was enough to frighten him. What was this girl doing to him? He had enjoyed spending time with her, yes, that much was true… But she was only another name in his book. She wasn't supposed to mean anything more. She _wouldn't_ mean anything more. He shook himself before disappearing into the boys' dormitory.

Although his mind was telling him to keep all emotion out of this, Lucius wasn't sure if his heart was going to listen.

* * *

><p>AN: Whoop! Chapter 2's up and done! Thanks so much for reading! :D


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone –

I'd like to apologize for this chapter taking so long to be put up. I have everything planned out for the story and I have every intention of finishing it, but I'm afraid that I have to declare this story on a temporary hiatus for now. I'm moving back in to school soon and have been very busy these past few weeks because of it. I just think I need to test out the waters at school before I commit to uploading chapters regularly. Once I get a hang of things, I'll try my hardest to update.

I hope you'll bear with me; I really appreciate all the feedback I've been getting and am awfully thankful to all of you.


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